Curse of the Legions of Fear

"Oh no, it's my turn. I absolutely hate doing this. Why did I sign up for this public speaking class anyway? I must have been out of my mind."

"Great. This guy is going to call on me in front of everyone and I have no idea what to say. Here comes another moment of looking stupid."

"They don't really expect me to speak on behalf of the whole organization do they? Why doesn't the CEO handle this? Why is the COO wishing me good luck? This is brutal."

Fear Sucks

Going through high school, and then later as a young professional I was not real excited about speaking in front of anyone other than my buddies or my family. Sure, I liked to be the life of the party, but that usually meant a very social atmosphere with plenty of latitude to be a goofball.

Fast forward a few years and I was asked to speak in front of a company wide meeting of 400 executives and leaders with literally no warning and actually pulled it off. That might have been nothing short of a miracle...if I hadn't taken control.

Fear had a grip on me, and wasn't interested in letting go for a long, long time.

Fear is Power

What I came to realize was that fear (as if it is some sort of being separate from me) was getting way too much credibility in my world.

So one day I decided to kick fear's ass.

I was tired of fear having all of the power in our relationship. I wanted to be the one in control...calling the shots...making the decisions...according to my plan.

It wasn't as if I simply flipped some sort of internal switch and took control. Over time I forced myself to be in situations that were very uncomfortable. In the beginning I was miserable.

But very quickly I realized one critical outcome of dealing with your fears: you don't die when you confront your fears! (Unless of course your fear has to do with wrestling a lion...then, yes...you're going to die.)

Power is Good

The result of this painful yet necessary step was a fairly sudden power shift. Wow! I kind of like this power thing. What a difference! Now I get fired up about getting up in front of a crowd (large or small) and actually enjoy myself. No more cursing the fact that people will be looking at me and watching for a slip up. I don't care about that anymore...what I care about is no longer wasting my time dealing with that thing called fear, and doing whatever I want to do.

How About You

What is fear doing to you? Are you being held back because that arch nemesis of yours has you quaking in your boots? I recommend you decide to do some ass kicking of your own, and take back what's rightfully yours.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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HR Is My Business...And Business Is Good

My friend Charlie Judy wrote a terrific post about Harry Levinson, one of Human Resources' pioneers. I can only imagine what he would think of the world of HR today. We have more tools, more responsibility, and more opportunities than ever before.

Just consider the consulting side of HR, and how it has exploded onto the world of work. Layer on top the technology industry that has developed enterprise-wide information systems just for HR practitioners. 

Harry is undoubtedly smiling down on us all...

Harry Levinson

...unless he's not.

Opportunities Do Not Equal Progress

I don't meet too many human resources folks these days who tell me how excited they are to remain stagnant and not be successful.

They rarely tell me that failure is a primary objective in the next quarter, and that by year end they hope to have gripped the status quo so tightly that their knuckles hurt. Yet I continue to witness behavior that reinforces these exact messages. 

Why do HR leaders in particular fear progress? 

HR Staff Rock

One of my great passions (yes, I used that word) is to do public speaking. Whether at a conference, event, or meeting, I enjoy the energy that is created between a speaker and the audience. One of the fascinating things I've learned is that many of the HR staff who attend these sessions are not only excited about using twitter and Linkedin, but they are often ahead of the supervisor (read here --> Dinosaur HR leader #DinosaurHR) in terms of adoption of these tools.

I've been whining about HR leaders being stuck in bygone eras, and now I've finally realized I don't need to worry about them anymore. Their frontline HR pros are embracing modern tools and will soon be in those leadership positions! I love it!

In fact, after the last few events I've had the privilege to speak at (large or small) I am consistently followed or connected to the HR professionals after the event, but not the HR leaders who were there.

What does that tell you about who is willing to move forward, and who is clearly waaaaay too comfortable in their very temporary leadership role?

How About You

I'm fired up about HR these days, and you should be too. Our team members are embracing these tools, even if many of you are still holding out for a return to the mimeograph machine. (Smell the copies, my friend.) I think the state of our HR business would even make Harry smile too.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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I've Got Your Back

Has anyone ever said that to you? "Don't worry, I've got your back." If you've been fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of that message you know how reassuring it can be. Typically that phrase isn't said when sales targets are being hit, margins are strong, and volumes are above budget. No, this message is usually delivered during times of conflict, high pressure, and a whole quarterly earnings report worth of stress.

"Don't worry...I've got your back."

Stormy Times

Its been said that we are either entering a storm, going through a storm, or we've just come out of one. While that may sound a bit depressing, it does speak to the reality of the world of work: changes, expectations, and pressure are constants in our lives.

"How we support each other is what brings a measure of calm to the chaos of the storm."

Think about the storms your team members, colleagues and employees are dealing with right now. Is someone sinking below the proverbial waterline and needs to know you are there for them?

Is a peer pushing hard to address long-standing organizational problems and could use some additional support?

Are your team members on the front line having to deal with an usually high work load right now and would greatly appreciate it if you let them know you were aware of their burden?

"Don't worry...I've got your back."

Thinking vs Saying

One of the missed opportunities in our work lives is to move beyond assumptions and say what is on our mind. Far too often I've heard (and said), "she knows she has my support." Really? Does she (or he) know they have my support? Have I been thinking about providing support more than I've been showing it?

What about in your world? Do your peers, colleagues, and staff know that they have your support? Since I rarely hear employees complain that they "get too much support at work" its probably safe for each of us to actually utter the words from time to time. Right?

How About You

When was the last time someone told you they had your back? Did it feel good? Did you feel like you could keep moving forward even if the road ahead was looking a bit treacherous? Think about how much those around you will benefit from hearing you say those words too. I'm guessing you won't hear any complaints.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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3 Steps To A Better (HR) Life

I don't know about you, but I sure would like my professional life to continue to be something I get excited about. I like coming to work. I like thinking about new ways to do my job. I like knowing my team has the okay to try new things without fear of reprisals from me or the organization's leadership team.

When I consider all of the various issues that impact how I go about doing my job, three things seem to jump out at me. They may be something you should consider too.

1 - Learn the business

Although HR is a transferable profession, meaning you can apply the basic skills and knowledge of human resources to every industry; it is imperative that HR practitioners understand the specific industry their company is in. I've worked in health care my entire career, and have a strong understanding of "how it works" from types of staff, competitive issues, pressure related to payer mix and the reality that our customers simply don't want to come to my company. (Do you want your child to go to the hospital today? Me neither.)

Quite honestly, it is very difficult to engage in any sort of meaningful strategic discussion with your colleagues if you don't understand how your company develops its products or services, how it gets paid, or what some of the competitive pressures are, right?

2 Make friends with key leaders outside of HR (Finance, Marketing, and Operations are a good start)

One of the most effective ways to take action based on Step 1 above is to connect with key leaders across your organization. There are two HUGE advantages to adopting this leadership approach.

First, you have an opportunity to build relationships with other decision-makers outside of the normal "report-out-follow-the-same-standing-agenda-meetings" that you two normally see each other.

Second, you can ask questions about their part of the business (typically more detailed than would be asked in a larger group setting) without fear of embarrassment. Plus, the other person typically enjoys the chance to share their expertise with someone else in the organization. You both win! Except if you make this a priority you will win multiple times as you connect in a deeper way with several key leaders.

3 Take risks outside your normal "risk comfort zone"

Much has been written about how the world of human resources has dramatically changed over the last five years. I've jumped on the "go modern or go home" bandwagon; but sadly many HR professionals still believe their primary job is compliance and saying "no" whenever possible. 

That is not modern HR...that is just a small part of our responsibility.

So many tools are available ranging from slick HRIS solutions, to social media channels, to various apps for our smart phones and tablets that there simply is no excuse to not step out of your comfort zone and risk a few things.

You don't have to be reckless...but it is time for each of us to keep pushing. Even if we've been a semi-early adopter we have to keep challenging ourselves to be better. 

I'm all in...who's with me?

How About You

What do you think of my three priorities for a better life? Whether you like them or not, we all need to identify what makes sense for us to keep moving ourselves forward, and if we have the courage to do anything about it. Who's with me now?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Front Burners

I've been busy lately. I know, you have too...we all are busy. But for me, I've been busy, as in "I can't keep up with everything I want to do in life" busy. I don't like it. I particularly don't like it when it impacts my life here in the blogosphere. (Does anyone still use that word?...I have been away too long.) 

Priorities

One of the main reasons I'm all cranked up about my recent situation is actually good. My job is more demanding than ever; the assignments I'm working on are more challenging than ever, and the possibilities to do good work are everwhere. That's a pretty good reason to take a short hiatus from the blog...at least this blog.

There's No Place Like A Blog

Although it's been quiet here lately, that doesn't mean I've been able to stay quiet overall. I mean, seriously people! Me? Quiet? No way!

I've been blessed recently with the opportunity to participate on several terrific blogging sites including ceVoke, Jobsite, Performance I Create and HR Tact. (You might even see a rare guest post soon right here.) These are fanatastic projects, and it looks like one more is on the way. Maybe it's all too much? Or, maybe I'm not organized enough to embrace every single opportunity life brings my way. So what, I'm going for it anyway.

Work Is Like A Stove

My organization is going through a period of rapid and exciting change.  The result as I mentioned has been a little time away from the blog...but that time has passed.

I like to think about my organizational priorities this way...

"Imagine a huge stove with only front burners. That is how I need to prioritize all of my work right now. Everything is a front burner issue."

That approach may not be the healthiest. Nor is it what the so called experts claim is the best way to organize and rank the work you need to accomplish. Really, 3 to 5 items on my task list each day? Get real!

Guess what? Sometimes everything is a priority and you need to find a way to get it done!

How About You

What does the stove look like where you work? Is it an apartment sized hot plate? Or, do you look far to the left and far to the right and only see that one row of front burners too?

I'ts good to be back.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Enemy Within

“Did I do the right thing?”

“Is the company going to get sued?”

“Did we violate one of the many new regulations that seem to keep coming?”

“Is my job now on the line?”

Human Resources professionals face more challenges today than ever before. Any reasonable person would believe the laws that have been passed to protect all employees would certainly suffice.

Yet, external parties, government agencies, and old school thinking from many organizational leaders continue to give the impression that the life of an HR practitioner is doomed to processing forms and trying to hide from anything confrontational or impactful.

Read the rest of my post over at HR Mouth of the South!

HR Mouth of the South is the official blog for HRFlorida. Check it out!

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Everyone Is A Coach

I'm a big sports fan. Hockey is my favorite. It's fast, and violent, and graceful, and full of finesse, and power, and endless hours of work away from the ice to get better. As in most sports, players, friends, families and fans are very engaged in every aspect of the game.

They all think at one point or another that they are the coach. Not literally of course, but we've all seen or heard someone offer their perspective on how things should be done. If only their keen insight would be listened to so the entire game/practice/tryout would be better!

Give me a break. Everyone is not a coach. At least, not a good one.

Work and Sports

Some of us also get fired up about our work. No, we don't swear at the television set when something goes wrong in our training videos like we...ahem...might...during a big game. But the reality is that there is a whole lot of "coaching" going on in the workplace from people who have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

There, I said it. 

Apparently there is in fact something to be said for taking a global view of an organization. In sports a comprehensive game plan is critical to success. At work, the big picture is so important, that I now challenge myself to consider the unintended consequences of the decisions that are made in my organization that have nothing to do with human resources issues.

There, I said that too.

"Sometimes HR isn't the center of the universe."

Good Coaches Set An Example

Whether you are leading a group of players or are in a leadership position in your company, you are setting an example every day. Sometimes it is a good one that people come to rely on as part of their world. Other times, "coaches" get so caught up in their own ego, that they completely miss the point of what it means to offer their insight and perspective on the issues occurring at work.

It's a shame really, because typically these folks have knowledge that could be very useful. But alas, they typically worship at the church of "themselves" and earn a reputation for saying a lot but contributing very little.

How About You

Do you know any "coaches?" I do too. In fact, sometimes I slip into bad habits of being one of those people too. But having the courage to actually step back and evaluate my own behavior has given me the opportunity to leave most of my lame coaching days behind me. How about you?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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